Why is this still called “Black People Toothpaste” in Chinese?
Imagine, for a moment, that multi-national companies didn’t just care about racist images & language in politically correct countries.It seems we don’t live in that kind of world yet.
Black People Toothpaste
Apparently (according to an article here), Darlie was acquired by Colgate in 1985. It’s original name was Darkie (with a horrible caricature of a black man on the front of the package), but outrage over this name caused Colgate to quickly change it’s name to Darlie and make the picture a little bit more acceptable.
That was a good step. But for the twenty plus years in between now and then, the Chinese name for Darlie has remained 黑人牙膏 - literally “Black People Toothpaste”. People from mainland China are often quite racist in their thoughts toward black people already. Toothpaste with such a racist name doesn’t do much to help move China forward.
What do you think? What’s more important, of course, is what the average Chinese person in China thinks, and why there hasn’t been anything done about this yet. Why did Colgate make the English name acceptable but ignore the racism implicit in the Chinese name?
The racism in China is getting worse than even in some European countries. It’s worse for blacks. Some chinese say it’s just curiousity for the color. But when one finds himself being refused a job because he is black(African), the story becomes a different one.
Most of them think black is dirty. There is an irony that they admire black white teeth, and therefore go in for the Blackman Toothpaste. I think these people are not just informed about different people. They need to clean themselves up not only mentally, but also physically.
“The racism in China is getting worse than even in some European countries.”
Oh really now? Does China lynch or stab black people? Do they stomp and beat Europeans to death? Do they mob and attack White people? Do they commit genocide on millions and endorse slavery?
If not, then stfu. The “racism” of China is overexaggerated by opportunistic white reporters that are eager to portray white liberals as the messiah to so-called morally backwards countries.
The racism experience by blacks in China is NOTHING compared to the outright hostility, murder and rape that Chinese in black neighborhoods or countries face, and the occasional stares is nothing compared to the beating deaths and discrimination faced by Chinese in Europe.
Stop making idiotic, selfish demands and fix your own country before you go around the world “reforming” others.
Hey Ferin,
It’s hard to tell if you are attacking myself or Esombe above. If it’s Esombe, the beginning of your response as follows is strange indeed, considering you are saying it to someone who by his name is most likely African:
And just because racism exists everywhere (often in more extreme forms) doesn’t mean ‘racism-lite’ acceptable (per your argument).
Speaking as a Chinese (Singaporean) I feel the “Blackman Toothpaste” simply have got no racist intent. I guess it’s hard for a non Chinese to appreciate this. From a Chinese consumer’s point of view the “racist/racism” never even cross their mind. It’s simply a dark skin person with sparkling smile (a fair skin person wouldn’t have provided the contrast); and that is precisely why the manufacturer have used it to their advantage and to put their message across, which is “clean teeth”. Honestly, as a child 40 odd years ago I’ve never known racism, not especially from a toothpaste advert and the only impression from “Darkie” toothpaste is I could have the same sparkling clean set of teeth just like those on the packaging.
Hi Frankie,
Thanks for your perspective - it’s good to hear you see this as having no racist intent behind it.
Hey Kmm,
Great point.
Clearly, part of the problem with being educated in society that demands political correctness is that you begin to see racism every where. Is the goal of this toothpaste to promot racism? Or is it because of the way you have been trained that you see it as being racist?
Hi W,
If you look up the history of this toothpaste you can see that it was clearly racist about 20 years ago - once being called Darkie with a horrible caricature of a black man.
The current picture is much better, but still isn’t the greatest - and part of the point is that while the obviously racist English name of the toothpaste was changed, the Chinese one remained the same.
Obviously the goal of the toothpaste is to sell as much as possible.
But ask yourself: do you see a name of Darkie as being racist? If so, why is “black person toothpaste” not also racist?
that toothpaste was sold in my country under ‘Darkie’ and then under ‘Darlie’. i was in school when the change happened. to be honest, if they hadn’t changed it, i wouldn’t have been the wiser. not being very attuned to the connotations of the word ‘Darkie’ i was quite oblivious of the implied slur it contained, although i vaguely knew that it was a word describing black slaves, used during the time when africans were enslaved in america. but, unless you are intimately informed of the circumstances under which it was used, it was simply a descriptive word, and so it was for me. because they changed the label, *then* it occurred to me that it was something race-related. can’t say what other people thought, or in other countries, but in malaysia it was just a brand name. besides, the common man’s everyday word for ‘toothpaste’ here, up until recently, was colgate…
Not to distract from the original topic too far but I bought a toothpaste yesterday from a shop in Hong Kong. It has a blue and white box and is called Chinky - Desensitizing toothpaste. Maybe the people who produce Darlie have been using it and have become desensitized to racial slurs? It is produced in Hong Kong.
BTW - there is no doubt that it is a nasty marketing fossil. The first time I saw it I was shocked that the image was used and the name was so obviously darkie originally. Its a shame that in the world today no one has picked up on the obviously offensive piece. Its not a huge leap of the imagination is it?
As for it not being seen as such in Asia - if I was raised to call people by a racial slur and continue to use that slur through my ignorance does that make it alright? And if someone pointed out that it was offensive (I would challenge anyone to try and market this toothpaste in its current form to America) is it OK to justify your complacency by continuing to claim ignorance - or saying its not offensive? Does Asia really want join in dialog with the world? Dialog involves give and take from BOTH sides.
The picture is not as offensive as the name. It is so badly masked, it really does imply that they don’t really care about causing offense and they are only willing to make the minimum of effort. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort to figure out that calling someone a “darkie” is rude. Its not just a word for black slaves, its a word for people with dark skin and has not - as far as I understand - got any positive meanings when used in this way. A little like being called a “ghost” all the time in Hong Kong when you are from a White background.
Racism has to have an end somewhere - it doesn’t end with people saying “well Chinese people in other countries have a hard time” or the like. Bad things can happen to people everywhere. It doesn’t make things better to keep the cycle of nastiness going by denying the problem. Claiming ultimate victimhood is neither useful nor effective.
About the comment about Chinese never lynching or stabbing people - I am sure some do. Humans can be nasty and Chinese people are part of this club the same as everyone else. Having been hidden in a nearby apartment block by some wonderful Chinese people while other not so wonderful Chinese people called for the blood of all foreigners due to an act of NATO in Kosovo. People threw stones at my window. They shouted outside my university. They burned an embassy nearby. I was terrified. And my country is not in NATO. But I don’t think anyone would have bothered to ask if they had found me.
Hey Rachel,
It’s terrifying when any race or group of people is classified enough as ‘others’ to indiscriminately attack them, their livelihoods, or anything.
And your main point is the best - two wrongs do not make a right, and being discriminated against does not make it okay to discriminate against others.
Where were you when the events you described happened?
Hey everyone,
You know I’ve read everyones comment and I would ask those comment only if you’ve experienced it and not from hear say. I am a black young student living in Taiwan, I knew about racism but never really experienced it and never to this extreme until I came to Taiwan which changed the way I look at people of all race, it took away that innocent outlook of just seeing people instead of race. Anyone who would say that China is not that much of racist country is living in denial and this is from my friends experience who currently lives there.
As for me, I get the pulling of hair literally and I look with “what the hell is wrong with u?! U donot know me”, the touching of my skin without asking some curious, then the wiping of seat after I get up, then the constant stare which is about atleast 30cm distance without any embarrassment which is plain out rude. You know it’s sad to see that racism still exist especially where people of different nationality lives. I am from the Caribbean and we have every race you can think of and we treat each other the same, well in our country can’t say much about the others. But the point is yes I do think the toothpaste is a bit racist it’s offending at one point I thought it meant only for black people, then a chinese friend of mine told me no it’s to make your teeth as white as black people, which I didn’t believe for 1 second.
Also there’s a store in Taizhong Taiwan called Nigger Store literally and I couldn’t believe it, not trying to offend any chinese person here but after living in Taiwan I would say the majority of the people are very narrow minded and need to travel more I think that’s their problem and the world does not revolve around US, Canada, UK, Europe and Australia which is all the average taiwanese person know especially where speaking english is concern. It’s not just me the black person but I’ve had white american and british friends experienced the same problem lack of open-ness and what is considered polite which is not part of the chinese vocabulary well not western polite, like I said the majority of the people from what I’ve experienced and when you say something they act shocked as to Chinese people racist?
Well, I have read most of the comments. I do not think any reasonable person will complain about something for nothing. What I say is what I see and experience. The reason why Chinese people tend to be racist towards blacks is because of the wrong knowledge they have about the black people.The comments by Ferin personally interest me. If it’s about the western media giving a negative image of China, then I think you are wrong. Before I came to China, I knew it was a society of mentallly marture people because of the much talk of their economic achievements by the Western media. Unfortunately, it still remains a society where certain people are still scorned either because of the skin color or because of the tribe they come from(Within china)
That put aside, I think you should be able to tell me where Chinese people are descriminated upon in black countries. One good thing with Africans is that they are generally not racist. South Africans suffered a great deal in the hands of whites. But when Mandela was president, he formed a committee of truth and reconciliation. It just shows you how the African man is welcoming and Hospitable. Africans are not racist!
A black American friend was refused a job in China because he is black. Nobody refuses people jobs in Africa because of skin color. In Cameroon, there is a mayor who is a French woman. In case you don’t know, no foreigner can take Chinese citizenship and the Chinese people think they are the best in the world and consider other cultures and traditions as alien, bad and not worth accomodating. You need to live there to know the real China. I have gone back to my country now. Can’t stay there!
Lex - sorry for your negative experiences in Taiwan (and Taiwan has been open to the rest of the world for far longer than mainland China, it should be less discriminating toward black people and foreigners in general, all things being equal).
As you and Esombe both point out, it’s what you experience that counts. And until people in China start seriously looking at it from the perspectives of you and countless other black people in China, this problem will always exist.
K, I see how this could be racist if this happened in Canada, but like Frankie said, it’s not really something negative in China.
I was born in China, and moved to Canada about 6 years ago, when I was in third grade. I realize that a lot of things the Chinese say are quiet racist, but we don’t see it this way. I mean, if the things we say in China are said here in Canada, people are gonna come running to tell you it’s racist; but the Chinese honestly never even THOUGHT of it as being “racist”. I guess this might be due to the fact that China isn’t a immigrant country. I’m NOT trying to make execuses for Chinese being racist, but you really should try to understand that the Chinese aren’t trying to make the blacks feel bad.
Another point I’d like to bring up is how America and Canada is constantly talking about racism towards the black. However, how many times did you hear about “racism towards the asians”? The fact is (or at least, it’s a fact among the children/teens in the schools I’ve went to, and I’ve went to the typical “middle-class” school, the “ghetto” school, and the “smart asian people” school—yes, children aren’t very delicate about stereotyping…), blacks are not the ones we’re targetting anymore, it’s the Asians. Racial jokes are forever made about “Chinatown” and you hear the “chink” being said everyday at school. You could say that the Chinese are racist towards the blacks, and it’d be true, but aren’t the blacks also racist to the Chinese? When Chinese people come out of China and sees the other races for what they really are, instead of what the media portrays them to be, we usually stop being racist. Then why are we still being targeted for racism IN Canada and America?
I DO have friends that are black, and we have no problems with our race, so I’m not saying this is a problem among everyone, but there ARE ppl that’s just plain racist, and they’re definitely not only in China…
Esombe, you make it sound as if Chinese ppl are all racist and blacks are all nice, welcoming ppl…seriously…that’s not the case, everyone’s different, k?
It is not something that is very often said out loud, but the simple fact is human beings are discriminating by nature. This is a survival mechanism that has developed over a long time and enables us to recognize and protect the group to which we belong and in so doing ensure social cohesion etc.
An obvious extension of human being’s discriminating nature leads to racism. It is hardly surprising therefore that comparatively closed societies like China will harbor these feelings, not just towards blacks but probably towards other races as well.
Just as human beings are both bad and good, there is an element of discrimination/bias based on origin (racism) that exists in us all. This is the starting point. However enlightenment in all its forms enables us to develop ethical and moral standards which is what allows human beings to be more ‘good’ than ‘bad’, more civilized than not etc. In the same way it is cultural enlightenment that enables us to understand that racism is an unnecessary remnant of a primitive reflex and has no place in the world today where people can get on a plane and be on the other side of the planet it a matter of hours.
For my own part, I see people and societies who/that remain racist as being unenlightened and primitive. Recognizing the inferior origin of the racist reflex, allows me to feel mostly unaffected by it when traveling in places where it is prevalent.
To Morpheus and Leane
Hello Buddy.
Your comment just shows how educated(formal or informal)you are. I plaud your comments. I particularly like the last paragragh
“For my own part, I see people and societies who/that remain racist as being unenlightened and primitive. Recognizing the inferior origin of the racist reflex, allows me to feel mostly unaffected by it when traveling in places where it is prevalent.”
I do not need any further comment. People should learn to be civilised and know that humanity is one. I’m not a historian per se, but do’t Historians say English people are originally from Germany( Anglo-saxons), French, Spanish civilisation/ language is closely linked to Latin( Italy), America was built by slaves from Africa, religiously persecuted people from England and other scandinavian countries, Canada still remains under the royalty of the queen of England, most black people in Vanuatu, fiji and south America are originally from Africa, The desecendants of Isreal are originally from Mesopotamia( Iraq)? My point is: Humanity is one. We have to acomodate each other. Doesn’t matter if you are Black, White, Yellow, Colored, red or even green.
As a Chinese from mainland, it is really baffling for me to see that many europeans are so uncomfortable to learn a toothpaste name in China.
As far as I know,the Chinese people have no idea about racism. The words “Black people” in Chinese doesnot have any racism implicit meaning. When saying “黑人” which means “black people”, we just think it as a describing word, nothing more.
You may argue that the word “Darkie” is racism-meaning. Yes,indeed. But it is a English word which most Chinese have no idea what it means. The Chinese name of this toothpaste is really concerned by any Chinese. And the Chinese name of this toothpaste is neutral.
The thing really matters is that why Colgate use this english name “Darkie” of toothpaste? Obviously,it doesnot play to the gallery for Chinese. Because 99.99% customers in China only see it as a symbol in products.
May I be a bit caustic to ask all of you westerners: who made this word “Darkie”? Who would read this word as their own language and get its meaning immediately?
Not Chinese, I sure.
Certainly the carelessness of supervising the use of english brand is a fault, the chinese business administration office should be criticized.
But those foreign companys in china who take advantage of it are ill-disposed.
Don’t even try to tell me that China is not racist. anywhere that still omits people from obtaining a passport/citizenship on the grounds of race really cannot claim to be an innocent ignorant. I think the inventor of words (of course it’s an English word, these comments are in English). The case is still that China is claiming to be ‘world class’ but burying their head in the sand over silly and easily amended issues. Every language has racist and inappropriate words. People are the same everywhere - and it only takes one person to make up an offensive word.
The issue is not who has the best racist words or the most hassle overseas. The issue is that the manufacturers don’t seem to care, nor do the consumers. That sends a message to the world - one that isn’t we all should hang out together (read - peace love and understanding), but instead, we can be offensive if we want because we have the power/apathy/ignorance to ignore/not care about/despise everyone else.
But that is not the point. The point is that its time to stop coming over all defensive about the whole affair. Lets own up to our issues, get over them and move on. Calling people who are racist primitive is just compounding the issue. Besides its a tautological argument.
BTW Jeremy - I was in Chengdu, China, one of the best (though most polluted) places I have ever lived in. The food and the people were warm, kind and sharing. They shouted ‘white monkey’ at me on occasion on the street and sometimes would not eat at the same table (and someone once tried to run me down for being an American capitalist pig) but on the whole, if I made the effort, people were friendly, brash, helpful, crazy and really, really great!
Hey Rachel,
Chengdu is a wonderful city - there is a ton of “real” Chinese culture and thought floating around (as an example the temples are full of real worshipers instead of just tourist spots), and I found the city to be nice too, although just stayed a week .
Was pollution so bad? I remember it as pretty clear several years ago. And the people seemed really laid back and friendly. Plus there was tons of great food everywhere for very low prices…
Hey Firstshine,
Have you thought about how black people who can read Chinese (or at least 黑人牙膏) feel about the toothpaste? Looking at it from just the perspective of the average Chinese person is missing the point. You need to look at it from the perspective of others.
Jeremy,
I was there in 98 and it was my first time staying in China for an extended period. I remember hanging my white laundry outside to dry and bringing it in caked in grey from all the particles in the air. I got a lot of respiratory illnesses too, but I don’t think it is any worse or better than any other major city in China.
It was a great place - we used to hang out at the temple a lot and partake of the wonderful Buddist fare on offer there. never has fake meat tasted so good again!
Morpheus…It’s crystal clear that you are well informed and educated person. I loved this: “For my own part, I see people and societies who/that remain racist as being unenlightened and primitive”.
I’m black and i have been residing in a country (Eastern Europe) for 14 years where majority of the whites are not used to black people though, i have personaly been attacked and brutalized by the neo-nazi gangs(skinheads) i have been verbally abused by ordinary whites on the street, it’s a daily occurence being called a nigga in this part of the world where i live..on a lighter note i have many white friends who are not demented or congenital racists…i have few chinese friends as well who are not racists, but am so surprised that in China there’s racism towards black people,well, if that’s really true, i think ,many would-be chinese business people to Africa should have a rethink cos we have millions of chinese doing business in many parts of Africam should we also start the racism against them?
You can try to eradicate racism but you can’t expunge it from the systems of those ignorants who have the perspection that blacks are dirty and dangerous etc..sometimes, as a black person am forced to hate many whites,now ,maybe the chinese are the next on my book.
This comment I have to disagree with.
“An obvious extension of human being’s discriminating nature leads to racism.”
Racism isnt the necessary extention of the human. You are talking about ethnocentricity. that is an extension of humans in a large scale society. The concept of race is different. Race was created by dividing the world into different areas: negroid, caucasoid, mongoloid. These are geographical definitions which are incorrect. Thier are negroids that are white and caucasoids that are black (india). ‘Race’ is nothing more than a social construct. It holds only as much meaning as people choose to give it. In The Myth of Race, Dr Joseph Graves argues that there is no real ’scientific’ or ‘biological’ standard for the arbitrary lines drawn between ‘white’ and ‘black and ‘yellow’:
There is also more differentiation within a race than there is between races.
about one-third of so-called “White” Americans have detectable African DNA markers.[7] And about five percent of so-called “Black” Americans have no detectable “Negroid” traits at all.
we need to get rid of this concept completely. ethnicity and culture are a much more realisitic term to use…
“Racism and violence are human problems, not, ahem, racial. Implying, as you quite implicitly do throughout your post, that Europeans or whites in general are more racist than other people makes you–guess what?–a racist.”
No, some races are more inclined to violent racist attacks than others. Just like Asian societies are more likely to insensitively use black-face or archaic terms then politically correct countries.
It doesn’t make me a racist to know that. It makes me someone who reads FBI race statistics. Chinese people have never beaten any blacks or whites to death in China, but rapes against Asians in the United States (women AND young men) have the highest per capita rates; especially when it’s interracial (rape rate for Asian men is virtually non-existent).
People don’t actually believe that there’s no difference between levels of racism between nations and peoples, some are just bothered that they’re being proven wrong on a factual basis and have nothing to justify the false claims that East Asians (or Asian culture, the liberal favorite of all thinly veiled euphemisms) are more racist than others. Therefore said smug beliefs that “Asian culture” is inferior to “Western Liberalism” are undermined; and so are their cultural supremacist, globalist agendas.
Read some statistics and studies some time. Asians are very rarely racist, and also extremely politically correct and not well-educated on issues of race. But they do not beat, lynch, rape, and murder you so stop complaining until you clean your own countries up.
Here is a taste of the ridiculous double standard and cultural ignorance of the “Liberal elite” posting here:
Remember Don Imus? Yeah, he got fired. Well here’s Miss Jones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_for_Indonesia
How would this fly on New York radio?
There was a time, when the sun was shining bright
So I went down to the desert to catch me a tan
Then the next thing I knew, a Janjaweed guy
Came and blew your village away
And all at once, you can hear the screaming niggers
And no one was saved from the AIDS
There were Africans drowning, little niglets swept away
You can hear God laughing, ‘Hide, you bitches, hide.
[Chorus]
So now you’re screwed, it’s the Jihadis,
You better run and kiss your ass away, go find your mommy
I just saw her fly by, a bullet went through her head
And now your children will be sold to child slavery.
Yeah it would take all of 20 seconds before New York was turned into dust from riots.
we have millions of chinese doing business in many parts of Africam should we also start the racism against them?
Are you missing the headlines? Because plenty of Chinese workers are being shot to death.
Like I said, be glad you have it so good.
anyway my other comments got deleted, because they were too right, but basically black racism gets ignored because it does not suit liberal agendas.
When China and all other non Democratic countries start holding elections and stop brain washing it’s citizen by allowing a free press to exist,will there be a reason for more people of all cultures to visit those places and thereby allowing all to judge first hand for themselfs.
What a joke, I don’t hear other races complaining about discrimination constantly. Why don’t you spend about two years in New Orleans then you could see the real picture. My uncles Jewish but he doesn’t cry over a dumb opinion. Get over it! If I hear one more person bitch about discrimination I’m gonna go postal. Bottom line STOP FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF OR OTHERS OVER SOMETHING SO STUPID!
to Comment #9 Jeremey:
Ever heard of BET Black entertainment television, how about the most recent Black Mayors Conference, or the other thousands of black organization. Ever been to a White Beauty shop,probably not but drive around here there are plenty of Black Beauty Shops. Blacks want to be segregated and then cry about it calling it discrimination. With Blacks your dammed if you do dammed if you don’t.
Why is there a problem everytime black people decide to have something of their own???? Every other race does it but it gets looked over. Where i am from in Florida at school there were white people who only hung out with other white people. But when the smart black kids decided to hang out together we were being
” difficult” or “ignorant”. One year i enrolled in a magnet program and i was riding the bus home from school and a blonde hair blue eyed kid asked ” are you on the wrong bus?” i was shocked cause i felt like getting up and punching him in his face. I said ” No why?” And he was like well i never seen you before so i thought you could of been lost. ?????? and as for BET if there was no BET i would not see many shows i would wanna see, i would be forced to watch MTV thats plays a hip-hop song 1:4 songs and have you ever seen CMT, ABC, there is still history being made in the black culture till this day. so dont run your mouth when your not in someone elses shoes!
People are so Damn sensitive! If anything, it sounds more like a compliment then an insault. Darkie may not be an offensive word to the Chinese. And geeze Will- He said he never seen you before. Why would you want to punch him? YOU just assumed it’s because you are Black. And as far as the black people having something of their own, they do. NAACP, BET,united negro college. I find that very racist. Will, you are just an angry person.
the “black people” in black people toothpaste has much less racist meaning than the “chinese” in chinese water torture or chinese finger trap or chinese kung fu
Is “french fries” or “canadian root beer” racist…?????
it only seems racist when it is translated from chinese into english
this is a problem of the english language created by the history of english speaking people oppressing black people
MY GOD….
people… shut up and think about this Scientifically and Sociologically.
I am an african-american student in dental school here in America. If you have not taken sociology courses before, you are at a disadvantage in my opinion. Read this and learn more about the world:
____________________________________________________________________
Racial Diversity appeared among our human ancestors as the result of living in different regions of the world. In the regions of intense heat, people developed darker skin (from the natural pigment melanin), which offers protection from the sun; in moderate climates, people developed lighter skin. Such traits are literally only skin deep because human beings the world over are members of a single biological species (Macionis 300)…
Like the reality of race, the reality of ethnicity is socially constructed. This means that it becomes important only when a society defines it that way (Macionis 302)…
By about 2050, minorities are likely to form a majority of the entire U.S. population (Macionis 303)…
Social scientists explain the invention of prejudice by four theories focusing on frustration, personality, culture, and social conflict…
(1) Scapegoat theory: prejudice springs from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantaged (Macionis 308)…
(2) Authoritarian Personality Theory: People with little education and those raised by cold and demanding parents tend to develop authoritarian personalities. Filled with anger and anxiety as children, they grow into hostile and aggressive adults who seek out scapegoats… People who show prejudice toward one minority usually are intolerant of all minorities…the opposite is found to be true as well (Macionis 309)…
(3) Culture theory: Some prejudice is found in everyone because prejudice is rooted in culture (Macionis 309)…
(4) Conflict theory: Prejudice is used as a tool by powerful people to oppress others… minorities themselves encourage race consciousness to win greater power and privileges (Macionis 310).
Social scientists agree that individuals vary in intellectual aptitude (IQ). But they reject the idea that any category of people, on average, is naturally smarter than any other…Thomas Sowell (1994 1995) explains that most of the documented differences in intelligence result not from biology, but from environment (Macionis 308-309).
___________________________________________________________________
A person who is racist only displays signs of ignorance and a possible lack of education/understanding.
Skin color is no indicator that a person is foreign. WE ARE ALL THE SAME F***ING BIOLOGICAL SPECIES!! If you really need to hate on something/someone choose another species like coelenterates, amphibians, reptiles, etc…..
I hope this helps. Now play nicely children.
To The Finisher,
OMG, Just have a look at this: “Racial Diversity appeared among our human ancestors as the result of living in different regions of the world. In the regions of intense heat, people developed darker skin (from the natural pigment melanin), which offers protection from the sun; in moderate climates, people developed lighter skin. Such traits are literally only skin deep because human beings the world over are members of a single biological species (Macionis 300)…”
Did you Just say this. Sincerely, i am not an Expert in Evolution theory. But I think your explanation here is odd. Logically speaking, this will mean children born of black parents in Europe will be light in complexion. I think that’s not very true. Some black kids were born in europe and never visited Africa or any other tropical regions of the world. I think Egypt is more hot than the sub-saharan African region. But Egyptians are not Black..People from Sub-saharan africa are of the Negroid race,..It’s Black. Whether they are in Papua new guinea, Australia, Brazil, USA or Europe, the negro will always remain black, and we are proud of that.
With due respect for your academic talents,I think you should read your books again.
Hahaha. Chinese don’t care about their own countrymen and various ethnic groups so how the heck would they care about people in Africa? They are interested in mining Africa, not respect. And to the person that said Egyptians aren’t Black, he obviously never traveled there. Yes, some Egyptians are Black….quite a lot of them. So what? Point is, people are stupid and prejudiced, even well-meaning people.
I just made a recent trip to Taiwan for the first time. I went with my mom and when we went to a local supermarket, I noticed the ‘black person toothpaste.’ Well growing up in the US, I was completely taken aback by the racism. My mom indifferently replied that she didn’t think it was racist at all since she grew up with the brand. The obvious reason why the Chinese name for this brand hasn’t been changed is because so many people grew up by the brand and the brand is so well-known for it’s packaging and name. That’s what brings in the money. And as for the racism aspect, saying that it’s a ‘black person toothpaste’ isn’t offensive. It highlights what the Chinese believe is an admirable characteristic of those with African decent. The contrast between their dark skin and white teeth gives the illusion that their smiles are very clean and healthy.
Anyways. The Chinese very rarely intend to be racist. What they say is racist to Western culture. And just like everyone else, they will stereotype every so often.
Different treatment does exist in China (I kinda believe it’s quite universal) but it might be not necessary to interpret into RACISM. I even can’t recognize the country you are talking about is the place I lived for 22 years. Except for all the points mentioned above, one thing worth our attention is if the meaning you interpreted from the signals sending by other people is identical to what they meant? I guess most of expats in China may not be able to communicate with local people in Chinese whereas the level of local people’s English has the opportunity to feel shamed compared to Dutch people. So would it be some misunderstandings instead of serious racism?
Of course, I am not saying racism does not exist in China. Maybe it’s just not as much as you thought.
Actually, as long as I know chinese people are simply more curious and probably don’t know how to approach their curiosity in an approriate way. After all the country had been closed for centuries and gets to contact outside for no long time.
So far the discussion has been on a “black person toothpaste” whether the racism is defined on it or not… I don’t care! As a black. Buddies, you guys should know that the planet earth is incomplete without the blacks, whites, yellows, browns or carribeans race. So, if anyone thinks the blacks are poor, voilent or bad? That person should ask himself/herself if he/she is better off. For all I know humans are the same in one way or the other. Hey, you chinese that sees blacks on the street and run away, giggle or called them “black devil”, and parents who pass on the knowledge to their kids are worst than serpent. You are still living in the 15th century world… grow up and mix with the new world ” One Love, One people” as you motto reads in the Beijing Olympic 2008. And my chinese brothers and sisters, don’t a hate a chinese that marry a black person or another race. He and She is living in the new world…And you ferin, you are the most stupid person on planet E.
chinese people think that black/african people have white beautiful teeth. Its a stereotype but not a negative one. so saying its black people toothpaste, is an incentive to make chinese people wanna buy it. i’m saying this as an african, advertising major with plenty of close asian friends
Very Amazing, how people can be from another country potray rasics in there product and then, make excuses and sill ratiolizatons for it, “Darkie” how in the world can someone adult be that native to what black people have went through…some silly man said, Chinese are not Rasict, common sense, would be, not all Chinese regarding this article, would not be however..how in the world, in my history of knowing, Blacks have been in more slavery taken to more countries all over the world as slaves than any other culture….please, you have Chinese, relating to just the article, that have what…China Towns all over, came over her illegallly, from there oppressive goverment..set up shop here, cryed they have rasicm against them…please, shut up….blacks, cant just get up and occupy China, is there African American Towns in China, do blacks, blocks of businesses and houses there, do blacks have Chinese fast food placees there they owned, check no, Chinese people would not have it, mostly….but in the usa you see, Chinese, as so many other cultures, buying, black businesses, but do not stay in that neightborhook what kind of crap is that….black folks, have been messed around, so much…when they complain, about reality most people from other countries are like, blacks are always complaining…umm..let me see..I dont remember regarding this article, of Chinese, coming to the Usa, majority as slaves, dont think so, I Dont remember the KKK, lyching,burning, assaulting, chinese people…so plese, get it straight…no on, understands,, the complexity of black culture, however, chinese, just like other cultures, enjoy, running across the ocean, setting up shop here, trying to get a better life and running from there oppressive goverment,,what kind of crap is that, I bet some blacks wish they could just get up and go….so for anyone, relates stupid stuff..look over Black History and slavery in the USA and then learn…